Planning a Destination Wedding in Italy? Part I

Planning a destination wedding? First of all - Congratulations!! However, there are a number of things you should know. It's not easy. In fact, it's more difficult than planning it in your own city or country where you live. Also, there's a lot of trust that you put out into the Universe, hoping that everything will be okay and turn out for the best.

My fiance/husband and I have been organizing our Church wedding here in Italy and it's been a heavy undertaking. The main problem is the priest and the church. We chose a church but asked a different priest to perform the ceremony; hence we have been dealing with two bodies of the church and it's a lot of work. I don't want the priest that comes with the lovely church because he's fairly old and decrepit, and a bit of letch with the ladies. I really don't want that type of element to defile my wedding day. Anyhow, I think there's a bit of jealousy and what-not among priests because he has in fact made it quite difficult for us. Every other week we visit the old, decrepit priest upon his request and every time he says, "Oh, we need to look at your papers." We ask, "Why?" Then he replies, "To make sure it's okay." We have checked, double-checked and triple-checked that we have all the papers and we go through the same rigamarole every other week. We even have the Bishop that stamped his approval. He really is "mad" or just jealous that another priest will be in his church performing the ceremony. Anyhow, we're hoping that he doesn't do something foolish or terrible on the day.

Here is a typical week with this priest. We saw him the previous Monday, whereupon he told us to come on Friday, to only have him tell us, to come see him on Monday to check our documents. We arrive on Monday, upon our arrival, he tells us to come again tomorrow on Tuesday, to collect the papers, and to take it to another building in the same town to have another stamp of approval on it. Then, return Wednesday for further inspection of said papers..........

People may think that priests are all angelic, kind, forgiving and warm, but let me tell you - that is not the truth. I was raised in the Catholic church and have been to many different churches and masses served by different priests and like in society, there are good priests and bad priests and I have met a few of both. Always beware of their intentions. They are, in fact, only human and probably more dysfunctional than most.